The staff of the American Institute of CPAs, the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants and the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board have jointly released guidance on the use of specialists in COVID-19 environment, including some considerations involving the use of specialists when auditing financial statements during the pandemic.
The staff guidance, released Tuesday, aims to help accountants and auditors determine when there might be a need to use the services of a specialist to help them perform specific tasks and other professional activities within their own organizations, as well as when they serve their clients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The publication discusses some of the ethical considerations for accountants to think about when using a specialist, along with some of the circumstances that indicate a need for a specialist when auditing financial statements.
The novel coronavirus pandemic has forced many accountants and auditors to work remotely, as well as curtailed travel to client locations, particularly those located abroad, when travel restrictions remain in place in many countries.
Patrick Walsh, CPA, MBA, is the managing partner and CEO of Withum, an advisory, tax and accounting firm with 2,200 team members across the U.S. and internationally. He served on the firm's management committee for six years, leading up to his role as managing partner. Walsh led the firm's national tax practice strategy for five years and oversaw the corporate tax services practice. He is also the executive sponsor for Withum's expansion overseas in opening and growing its India office. Walsh is actively involved in the firm's alliance with HLB International and is committed to leading an inclusive and diverse place of work as seen in his CEO Statement on Inclusion and Diversity.
Tim Stein is Senior Vice President of Human Capital at American Addiction Centers (AAC). His wealth of experience in training and development has greatly benefitted the entire company by fostering an engaged workforce dedicated to transforming the lives of those with addiction, a cause close to Stein as he is in recovery himself. As Senior Vice President of Human Capital, leadership, strategic vision and organizational change remain Stein's focus, as does the company's most important asset — the employees.
The guidance points out that the pandemic could also pose threats to ethical standards, and accountants may find it challenging with the changing laws and regulations pertaining to COVID-19. They may come under pressure to breach the principles of professional competence, due care and professional behavior. “Those who perform audits of financial statements may face additional challenges as well, including considerations related to auditor independence,” said the document. During the pandemic, accountants also might not have access to the usual resources they have at their offices to ensure competent performance, and they may need to turn to outside specialists to help them perform certain tasks or undertake some engagements.
The publication was developed by the staff of the AICPA under the auspices of a working group formed by the IESBA and national ethics standard setters from Australia, Canada, China, South Africa, the U.K. and the U.S. The working group was chaired by IESBA deputy chair Richard Fleck with the goal of developing implementation support resources to help accountants effectively apply the International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards) when facing circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic. IESBA and IAASB staff also provided their input. The working group plans to develop more COVID-19 guidance in the weeks ahead.
